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Argos' Ray knew he was a long shot for MOP

QB Ricky Ray stretches the team out while sipping on a coffee in the cool air as the Toronto Argonauts prepare for their CFL game in Montreal On Sunday during CFL action in Toronto, Ont. on Thursday October 30, 2014. (Michael Peake/QMI Agency)

Last night, he became the first ever to lose to a full-time defensive player.

“I definitely don’t want to be known for that,” laughed the Toronto Argonauts quarterback of Solomon Elimimian of the B.C. Lions who beat him 48 votes to 14 to win the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player award.

Ray said he’d love to have one more chance, one more finalist nomination, to maybe win this thing before his career is done and he goes back to Edmonton to have his name go up on the Eskimos’ Wall of Fame.

“Obviously, it would be great to win this award. I’ve played against a lot of great quarterbacks in this league and seen them win this award, so it would be awesome to be in that group,” he said of Anthony Calvillo (three), Danny McManus, Dave Dickenson, Kerry Joseph, Khari Jones, Henry Burris and Travis Lulay.

“It’s not something make-or-break about how I felt my career has gone. But it would be a nice thing to have.”

Ray knew he was a long shot this year.

“It’s weird for me even being here this year because we didn’t make the playoffs. Normally you’d figure a Most Outstanding Player candidate would lead their team to the playoffs. So it’s definitely understandable to not win the award,” said the QB, who lost to dominating Canadian running back Jon Cornish last year.

“Elimimian broke a record (he registered a whopping 143 tackles this season), which is pretty significant.”

The big goal for the 35-year-old quarterback is to play in this game again.

“I’d like to win one more Grey Cup,” said Ray. “That would be four. Not many guys have won four.”

Actually, nobody ever has.

Not the way the CFL scores it. To get the win, you have to start the game. While Warren Moon is remembered for winning five in a row, he only started three. Jackie Parker led the Eskimos to three in a row, but Don Getty started one and Parker played halfback.

Considering Ray had surgery in Cleveland to repair his right labrum and rotator cuff on Monday, a lot of people were surprised he would show up here.

“I thought I should be here. It’s a pretty prestigious award. And I thought I should be here just in case.”

“Usually, it’s six months. Usually, the first three or four months, you’re getting your range of motion. Once you get that, then you can work on strength. I probably won’t be throwing until April or so.”

When you’re 35 years old and go through the surgery the league’s top quarterback just underwent, you think about how long you want to keep doing this.

Ray won’t say it, but he’s been forced to play much of his career behind abysmal offensive lines. At his age, you stay sore most of the week now.

“For me, it was, ‘I can’t come back and play the way I played.’ I had to get it fixed. Most of this is from when I hurt it the year before. Last year, I decided not to do surgery, to just rehab. But, this year, I needed to get it done. I know I’m getting toward the end of my career.”

With 52,063 yards, Ricky Ray passed Ron Lancaster (50,535 yards) for fifth place on the all-time passing list. McManus is next in fourth with 53,255 and Burris is a moving target at 55,253. Allen sits second at 72,381 and Calvillo retired with 79,816 yards.

“There are a few guys I could reach. There’s no way in my mind I could beat Anthony. I don’t think I can.”

Physically? Or mentally?

“I think it’s going to be physically for me. Mentally, as long as you can handle the grind of the season, that’s not a problem. Mentally, it feels like you’re getting better every year.

“Physically, even now, I’m 35 and just your recovery and how you feel for next week takes a little bit longer than it did when you were younger. It wears a little bit more on me nowadays.

“And it’s got to be fun. As long as we’re winning, making the playoffs and enjoying your teammates, I can see it going a little while longer. When it goes the other way, it could, potentially, kick you out of this game.”